Teaching Resources

Environmental Education:  Teaching Resources

by Steve Auger

If you are a teacher and looking for environmental education material then you have come to the right place.  I just did a little web-surfing and found plenty of teaching resource sites.  Here are some of the sites I found.

National Wildlife Federation

The NWF believes that K-12 climate change education is best done in developmental stages according to age levels.  Their "Overview of Educator Guidelines for K-12 Global Climate Change Education" can be found here.

This slideshow is targeted for students in Grades 5 through 12 and can be used in science or social studies class.  It highlights the most common questions from this age group on the topic of global warming.

Environmental Protection Agency

United States Global Change Research Program

The Environmental Protection Agency along with several partners, developed this toolkit entitled "Climate Change Wildlife and Wildlands - A Toolkit for Formal and Informal Educators" to assist classroom teachers in educating middle school grade level students how climate change is affecting wildlife and public lands.   A 12 minute introduction video is provided and included here:

Teaching Resources

Clear information is provided for teachers with this collection of websites and documents. 

U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy provides study guides to familiarize students with the science and technologies that make using fossil fuels cleaner.

Education Starts Now!

Even a four year old can grasp the beauty of nature and understand the ramifications of pollution and global warming.

Our children will inherit the planet Earth so let's give them as much opportunity as possible to learn and appreciate what they have.  Why not take your children out on nature walks or to a local botanical gardens?  Why not grow plants together (from seeds)?   Or allow your children to help you with your gardening.  Provide them with miniature (toy) tools such as a hoe, rake, shovel so they can work with you side by side in your garden. 

Children who are provided with a good education in environmental issues tend to have a positive attitude towards the environment for the rest of their lives.  Teach your children about global warming and they will be your conscience forever.  They will most certainly let you know when you are doing something bad!

And by the way, eco-education isn't limited to children.  You and me - we all must learn more about our environment.  It is never too early and it is never too late. But it is important that we start now!